PARADIGMS - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Professor of Neurology and Director of the Moscow Multiple Sclerosis Centre
• Professor of Neurology and Director of the Neurology Institute at Harley Street Medical Center in Abu Dhabi

Alexei Boyko gained his MD and PhD from the Russian State Medical University, Moscow and has been Professor of the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery at this university since 1997. He was the Chief Neurologist of the Department of Health Care of the Government of Moscow in 2001-2015. He works as the Director of the Moscow Multiple Sclerosis Centre and Director of the Institute of Clinical Neurology and Department of Neuroimmunology at the Federal Centre of Brain Research and Neurothechnologies. He was also elected as Honourable Professor of Kazan and Yaroslavl State Medical Universities. He is also a member of the Presidium of the All-Russian Society of Neurologists, Co-ordinator of the Medical Consulting Boards of Moscow and All-Russian MS Societies, President of RUCTRIMS, member of ECTRIMS Council, Member of the Board of the European Charcot Foundation (ECF). It 2017 he was elected as Honored Scientist of Russian Federation. Professor Boyko has published 17 books and more than 900 original publications, he is Co-editor of three medical journals, a member of Editorial Boards of 5 journals, including MSJ and MSRD. The main interest is epidemiology and genetic of MS, neuroimmunology, clinical trials in MS, he is a member of several Advisory Boards of ongoing and finished clinical trials.

Job Titles:

• Head of the Medical Division Neuro at the Bern University Hospital

Andrew Chan is the Head of the Medical Division Neuro at the Bern University Hospital (Inselspital), Head Physician at the Department of Neurology and a Professor of Neurology and Neuroimmunology at the University of Bern, Switzerland. Dr. Chan received his neurology/neuroimmunology training at the University of Würzburg, Germany and worked as a consultant at the University of Göttingen, Germany, before he moved to the University of Bochum, where he was Vice Chair of the Department of Neurology 2006-2016. Trained as a general neurologist and a neuroscientist, Dr. Chan's major clinical and research interests are in the field of experimental, translational and clinical neuroimmunology, specifically multiple sclerosis and related disorders. He aims to link experimental models with clinical data and has led several clinical trials. For this, his research group collaborates with academic and industrial partners. His work has received funding support from national and international funding sources (European Union, Swiss National Research Foundation, Federal Ministry of Education and Research) and has been awarded several prizes. He has authored or co-authored more than 270 articles in peer reviewed journals/book chapters and serves as an Editor for the European Journal of Neurology. Dr. Chan's motivation to improve patient's quality of life is also reflected in his work for patient organizations.

Job Titles:

• Associate Professor of Neurology at the University of Hasselt

Job Titles:

• Director of the Neurology Institute at Harley Street Medical Center
• Professor of Neurology and Director of the Neurology Institute at Harley Street Medical Center in Abu Dhabi

Dr. Yamout is a Professor of Neurology and director of the Neurology Institute at Harley Street Medical Center in Abu Dhabi. He graduated from medical school at AUB in 1984, received his training in neurology at the University of Cincinnati-Ohio in the USA, and followed by a fellowship at the Montreal Neurological Institute-McGill University in Canada. He received his American Board in Neurology and joined the faculty at the American University of Beirut in 1988. He is currently president of MENACTRIMS (Middle East North Africa Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis), member of the MSIF (Multiple Sclerosis International Federation) Scientific Advisory Board, and fellow of the American Academy of Neurology. Dr. Yamout is one of the leading experts on multiple sclerosis in the Middle East with more than 100 publications in peer reviewed journals. In addition, he is currently the principal investigator on several ongoing international multiple sclerosis research trials. Dr. Yamout is currently Chief Editor of the MS newsletter "MS today", and on the editorial board of "Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders" and "Pediatric Neurology".

Job Titles:

• Professor of Clinical Neuroscience at University of Rome "La Sapienza"

Professor Pozzilli studied at the University of Rome "La Sapienza". He then moved to the Hammersmith Hospital in London, UK, to take up a research post in 1980.In 1983, he became a Board Certified Neurologist at the University of Rome. In 1986 obtained a research grant in Neuroimaging at the Tohoku University, Sendai Japan.In 1987, he was awarded a PhD in Clinical Neurosciences by the University of Rome, where he became Full Professor in 2006. In 2002 he funded and become Director of the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Center of OspedaleS.Andrea, University of Rome which is his actual position. Professor Pozzilli's fields of interest include the clinical aspects and treatment of MS; he has published more than 350 papers and reviews on these subjects. Professor Pozzilli is a member of several National and International Societies. He has participated as a first investigator in at least 250 multicentre clinical trials on patients with MS. He was also member of the Steering Committee and Advisory Board inseveral multicentre trials.

Job Titles:

• Head of the Department of Neurology at the University Hospital of Essen

Job Titles:

• Professor of Neurology at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

Dr Nikolaos Grigoriadis graduated from the Faculty of Medicine of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He did his PhD thesis and residency in Neurology in the same institution. He has been specialized in clinical and experimental Neuroimmunology and CNS immunopathology in a number of research centers and institutions abroad. He is now Professor of Neurology at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and Head of the of the B' Dept of Neurology, AHEPA University Hospital, the MS Centre and the Laboratory of Experimental Neurology and Neuroimmunology (www.neuroimmunology.gr). Professor Grigoriadis is member of various international scientific committees such as the European School of Neuroimmunology, ParadigMS, the subcommittee of ENS for Multiple Sclerosis, the ECTRIMS committee (until 2010), Co-founder and Secretary of the Hellenic Academy of Neuroimmunology (www.helani.gr). He is President of the Hellenic Neurological Society. He is Ad Hoc reviewer in more than 40 international scientific journals, co-ordinator in more than 40 multicenter clinical trials for MS and principal investigator in collaborative research projects for experimental cell therapies in CNS autoimmune demyelination. His field of interests are: Neuroimmunology; Multiple sclerosis; experimental models of autoimmune diseases (EAE etc); neurodegeneration; immunomodulation; cell therapies. He has published more than 180 papers in peer reviewed journals. He has been awarded several times for his scientific work.

Job Titles:

• Professor of Neurology at the University of Innsbruck

Job Titles:

• Professor of Neurology at Heinrich - Heine - University Düsseldorf

Professor Hartung received his undergraduate training at the Universities of Düsseldorf, Glasgow, Oxford and London. After graduation magna cum laude as MD in 1980 he served an immunology fellowship at Johannes-Gutenberg-University of Mainz. He started his career in neurology at the University of Düsseldorf, where he became assistant profess or in 1987. He was appointed professor and head of the MS clinicalresearch group and Vice Chair of the Department of Neurology at Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg in 1990 and moved in 1997 to Graz, Austria, to become chairman of the University Department of Neurology. In 2001 he was of fered a chair in MS research by the University of Glasgow and the MRC. He was chairman of the Department of Neurology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf from 2001-2020, director of the Center for Neurology and Neuropsychiatry from 2012 - 2020 and director of the Department of Conservative Medicine from 2012 - 2019 . He is currently Professor of Neurology at Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Honorary Professor, Brain and Mind Center, University of Sydney, Visiting Professor at Medical University Vienna and Palacky University Olomouc. Professor Hartung 's clinical and translational research interests are in the field of basic and clinical neuroimmunology and in particular multiplescleros is and immune neuropathies , development of new immunological, neuroprotective and neuralrepair promoting strategies. He has authored or co-authored more than 950 articles in peer-reviewed journals, one hundred book chapters and edited nine books. He is a Highly Cited Researcher 2017, 2018, 2020 (Web of Science, Clarivate) . He has been involved as member of the Steering Committee in numerous international multi-centre therapeutic phase 2 and 3 trials in Multiple Sclerosis, Guilla in Barré Syndrome and CIDP. He was President of ECTRIMS and has served / serves amongst others on the executive boards of the European Charcot Foundation (treasurer and Vice President) , the European Neurological Society, the International Society of Neuroimmunology, Peripheral Nerve Society, INC (Inflammatory Neuropathy Cause and Treatment Consortium),WHO Working Group on Multiple Sclerosis, GBS CIDP Foundation International , the Medica l Advisory Board of the International (MS IF) and the German MS Society (Vice Chair ) and Chair of German MS Society State of North Rhine Westphalia and the US NMS Society and ECTR IMS clinical trials committee. He is member of the executive board of the International Multiple Sclerosis Cognition Society (IMSCOGS). He is/ was also member of the Editorial Board of a number of international journals including Annals of Neurology, CNS Drugs, Neurotherapeutics, Current Opinion in Neurology, European Neurology ( As sociate Editor) , Journal of Clinical Medicine, Journal of Neuroimmunology, Journal of Neuroinflammation (Associate Editor), Journal of Neurology, Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery Psychiatry, Nature Reviews of Neurology, Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair (Associate Editor), Frontiers Immunology, Frontiers Neurology/ Immu-nology (Chief Special ty Editor Multiple Scleros is and Neuroimmunology), Muscle Nerve, Therapeutic Advances in Neurological Disorders, Vaccines and others. Professor Hartung is a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology, Fellow and general assembly member of the European Academy of Neurology, has been chair/member of the management group of the EAN scientific panels on general neurology and multiple sclerosis; Corresponding Fellow of the American Neurological Association, the American Heart Association (Stroke Council), Honorary Member of the All Russian Neurological Society, Honorary Member of ECTRIMS, Honorary Member of the French Neurological Society, Honorary Member of the Polish Neurological Society, Member of the Association of British Neurologists and a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (London) .

Job Titles:

• Member of EAN Subspecialty Scientific Panel Multiple Sclerosis
• Professor of Neurology at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade

Jelena Drulovic, is full Professor of Neurology at the Faculty of Medicine University of Belgrade, and Head of the Department for immune-mediated CNS disorders, at the Clinic of Neurology, University Clinical Center of Serbia, in Belgrade, Serbia. From 2014, she is the president of the Multiple Sclerosis Task force of the Serbian Society of Neurologists. From 2018, Prof. Drulovic is the president of the Neurological advisory board of the Ministry of health Republic of Serbia. From 2023, she is the president of the Central commission for medicines of the Serbian Health Insurance Fund. Her main field of research interest is neuroimmunology and multiple sclerosis. Prof. Drulovic is a member of EAN Subspecialty Scientific Panel Multiple Sclerosis and EAN Subspecialty Scientific Panel on Neuroimmunology.

Job Titles:

• Professor of Neuroimmunology at the University of Turku

Job Titles:

• Head of the Multiple Sclerosis Unit at the Ain Shams Specialized University Hospital
• President of the Egyptian Society of Multiple Sclerosis

Magd Zakaria obtained his medical degree from the Medical School of Ain Shams University in 1980 where he graduated with honors. He completed his residency and obtained his Master's Degree in Neuropsychiatry at the Neuropsychiatric Department of Ain Shams University in 1984. Prof. Zakaria became Assistant Lecturer in 1989 and thereafter obtaining his MD degree in Neurology in 1989. Prof. Zakaria became Assistant Professor of Neurology in 1994 and Professor of Neurology since 1999 until now. He was Head of the Neurology Department at the Ain Shams Specialized University Hospital in 1990 and Head of the Stroke Unit in 1991. Since 2014, Prof. Zakaria has become the Head of the Multiple Sclerosis Unit at the Ain Shams Specialized University Hospital. Prof. Zakaria is currently the President of the Egyptian Society of Multiple Sclerosis and a member of the editorial board of the journal MSARD (Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders). He is also a member of the MENACTRIMS assembly board and Egypt's Brain Health Champion (MS Brain Health Organization). Prof. Zakaria was also the head of the Neuropsychiatric Department of the Ain Shams medical school from August 2015 till July 2017.

Job Titles:

• Professor of Neurology at the University of Ferrara

Maura PUGLIATTI, MD, PhD is Full Professor of Neurology at the University of Ferrara, Director of the University Hospital Unit of Clinical Neurology, S. Anna Hospital, Ferrara, Italy. She is also Director of the Residency School of Neurology at the same University. In 2007 she took a PhD and in 2007-10 was Research Fellow at the Dept. of Public Health and Primary Health Care, University of Bergen, Norway, actively coordinating a large multi-center case-control study on multiple sclerosis and environmental risk factors. Since 2011 she is Adjunct Professor at the Dept. of Clinical Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Canada within collaborative research in MS epidemiology. She has been Visiting Professor at the University of Bergen (Erasmus Teaching Staff Mobility program to medical students, 2010-12), University of Belgrade, Serbia (to PhD student, 2015), and has been a faculty member of the PhD School in at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj Napoca, Romania, since 2016. In 2008-14 she was Chair of the EFNS Scientist Panel of Neuroepidemiology and Public Health, and has co-chaired the same Panel for the European Academy of Neurology in 2015-18. She is a member of ParadigMS Foundation founders. Her main research areas are multiple sclerosis, epidemiology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, through collaborative research at national and international level. She is author of 137 papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals, has a total impact factor > 500 and H-index=37.

Job Titles:

• Director of the Danish Multiple Sclerosis Registry

Job Titles:

• Consultant Neurologist at the Neurosciences Center, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center

Job Titles:

• President
• Vice Chair of Neurology and Head of Multiple Sclerosis Center at the University Hospital San Carlos, Madrid

Job Titles:

• Head of One of the University of Lille
• Vice - President of Research in the Fields of Life
• Vice - President of Research in the Fields of Life and Health Sciences at the University of Lille

Patrick Vermersch studied medicine at Lille University Hospital (France), where he graduated in Neurology. Between 1990 and 1994 he pursued his training in basic research fields, mainly in cellular biology, obtaining a PhD addressing biochemical abnormalities associated with Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases. He also conducted research related to the characterization of post-transcriptional anomalies of tau proteins. His research interests then turned to multiple sclerosis (MS). Prof. Patrick Vermersch is head of one of the University of Lille's departments of Neurology which deals with MS and other neuroinflammatory diseases. The department is primarily concerned with neuroimmunology and markers of disease evolution. Prof. Patrick Vermersch is currently vice-president of research in the fields of Life and Health Sciences at the University of Lille. In 2000, he and colleagues created the first MS network in northern France to improve MS care and research. His current areas of interest are prognostic markers in MS and neuroimmunology in general. He participates in many treatment protocols for MS. He has authored or co-authored approximately 380 scientific papers. His H-index (Web of Science) is 54.

Job Titles:

• Consultant Neurologist and Director of MS Clinic at Amiri and Ibn Sina Hospitals, Kuwait City

Job Titles:

• Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurology at the University Hospital Regensburg

Job Titles:

• Chairman of the Dept
• Professor

Thomas Berger, MD, MSc, FEAN, is Professor of Neurology and Chair of the Dept. of Neurology as well as Chair of the Comprehensive Center for Clinical Neurosciences & Mental Health at the Medical University of Vienna, Austria.

Job Titles:

• Neurologist Specialized in Multiple Sclerosis at the University MS Center Pelt - Hasselt, Noorderhart Hospital and Hasselt University

During her neurology residency her interest in MRI was sparkled by the ISMRM MRI Summer School. Afterwards she spent one year at the MS Center Amsterdam, starting her work on brain atrophy in Multiple Sclerosis. After the residency and one year at the Lille University Hospital, Veronica returned to the MS Centre Amsterdam for a PhD in MRI in Multiple Sclerosis , combining MRI with pathological and clinical data. Since 2014 she has been working in Belgium, first as a Medical Expert for medical software and since 2015 as a neurologist specialized in Multiple Sclerosis at the University MS Center Pelt -Hasselt, Noorderhart Hospital and Hasselt University. In 2017 Veronica got the Erasmus Course on Magnetic Resonance Imaging Neuro Diploma, and since 2016 she is also specialized in Palliative and End Of Life Care.